Cellar Tours Blog - Food, Wine and Luxury Travel

10 Iconic Italian Cocktails by Ivano Martignetti Mastroianni’s class, Sean Connery’s style, Humphrey Bogart’s charm- these icons always seemed to look their best at the bar counter, where an elegant barman served impeccable cocktails in Martini glasses or in pure crystal tumblers. A world away from the tacky barmen and plastic glasses that we sometimes […]

It´s sizzling this summer in Europe and a few days on the coast are definitely in order! Some suggestions for luxury coastal hotels  by country: FRANCE Château Eza– Eze: The ultimate French Riviera hideaway. Think lifestyles of the rich and famous, this charming medieval hamlet spills over a clifftop overlooking the Med. The small luxury […]

Love Italian Cooking? Want to dedicate yourself to making Italian recipes from scratch, and need a list of the essential kitchen “musts” for gadgets and ingredients? Here is our essential list, and readers: please send in your tips and advice so we can make the list even more complete! THE ITALIAN PANTRY- CHECK LIST 1. […]

30 of 300: A short glossary of Italian pasta by Martina Hemm Though pasta has only been present in European kitchens for the past 200 years, Italy has long nourished an ancient noodle culture. Arab merchants were the first to carry itria, the predecessor of modern Italian pasta, from the faraway Asian continent to the […]

The Val d ‘ Orcia, featured today in the NY Times, is quintessential Tuscany and utterly romantic.  Expect dreamy hills studded with cypress trees and ancient farmhouses; a smattering of gorgeous art cities and medieval towns in easy reach (Siena, Pienza, San Quirico D’ Orcia, Montepulciano, Montalcino); world class wine country (Brunello, anyone?); amazing cheese […]

by Simona Piccinelli, Italy specialist At the very last minute, last week I decided to spend a few days in Rome with my friends, to visit the amazing exhibition Bacon and Caravaggio at the Galleria Borghese , waiting for the great Caravaggio exhibition at Scuderie del Quirinale to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the great […]

It’s January, it’s cold and miserable and  you don’t feel like cooking tonight… PIZZA night! A pizza always hits the spot, but what to drink with it? Turn a simple Pizza night into a food and wine adventure with these fun pizza/wine pairing suggestions: Margherita Pizza Wine Pairing: Robust red from Puglia like Neprica (Tormaresca) […]

Simona Piccinelli, our Italian food and wine specialist has put together a fabulous suggested week-long itinerary for gourmets wanting to eat their way through Northern  Italy’s best restaurants.  Pour a glass of Italian wine, grab a notebook and read on…. DAY 1- Fly into Milan, pick up car and drive east to the Franciacorta wine […]

by Simona Piccinelli, Italy specialist Is there any better way to celebrate New Year’s Eve than with bubbly? We certainly  don’t think so! So here is our selection of our favorite sparkling wines of the year- the perfect match for every mood, enjoy: Speaking of sparkling wines, champagne is of course the king of bubbles […]

By Simona Piccinelli, Italian wine specialist The 18th edition of the Merano International Wine Festival & Culinaria last month, crowned Merano as “the Italian capital of gastronomic excellence“. The Kurhaus – where the wine tastings took place –  opened its doors to wine lovers, gourmet and trade on Saturday November 7th, for 3 days. In […]

MICHELIN STARS IN ITALY FOR 2010 FOODIE NEWSFLASH: This very morning the 2010 edition of the Michelin Red guide for Italy was presented in Milan at the Triennale and we couldn’t miss it!! by Simona Piccinelli, Italy specialist and Milan correspondent Just as Gualtiero Marchesi did last year, Ezio Santin (chef and owner of the […]

Are you thinking of popping the question and just can’t think of where to do it or how to make it special? Do you want to organize the time of her life and cherish the memories of your proposal day forever? Are you looking for a unique, incomparable, ultra romantic and creative wedding proposal idea? […]